Question

My 21-month-old baby can only say ‘mommy’ and a few other simple words like ‘daddy’, ‘grandma’, ‘uncle’, ‘aunt’, and ‘cat’. It takes a lot of effort for him to pronounce the sound of ‘uncle’. Other than that, I think he’s quite normal in other aspects. He usually understands what I say, he’s seen all the body organs, and he knows all the things at home. When I say ‘apple’ or ‘banana’, he can pick the right one, but when he sees bananas or apples in books, he doesn’t know what they are, and when I ask him, he points randomly. He can stack blocks neatly without them falling over, and he points things out to me while I read to him. He doesn’t like watching TV or cartoons, and he dislikes doing household chores with me. Whenever he sees me doing something, like sweeping the floor, he’ll also grab a mop to sweep. He knows that keys open doors and is particularly curious.

Answer

Based on your description, your child may have some issues with verbal understanding. However, from the information you’ve provided, it seems that your child’s brain development should be normal. For now, there is no need for further medical examination as this could be a normal phenomenon related to the child’s growth environment. Since you are raising the child alone, they naturally have less contact with the outside world, which can lead to some abnormal behaviors.